This invention relates to a data logger capable of verifying compliance with the cooling regime recommended by the US Department of Agriculture Food and Safety Inspection Service for cooked meat as approved by the Food and Drugs Administration.
Cooked food is required to be cooled within set times to avoid the establishment of organisms at a level above that which could be dangerous for consumption. One version of these levels is set by the US Department of Agriculture and requires:
(A) Cooked POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD shall be cooled:
(1) Within 2 hours from 60xc2x0 C. (140xc2x0 F.) to 21xc2x0 C. (70xc2x0 F.); and
(2) Within 6 hours from 60xc2x0 C. (140xc2x0 F.) to 5xc2x0 C. (41xc2x0 F.) or less, or to 7xc2x0 C. (45xc2x0 F.) or less as specified under ¶3-501.16(A)(2)(b).
(B) POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD shall be cooled within 4 hours to 5xc2x0 C. (41xc2x0 F.) or less, or to 7xc2x0 C. (45xc2x0 F.) as specified under ¶3-501.16(A)(2)(b) if prepared from ingredients at ambient temperature, such as reconstituted FOODS and canned tuna.
(C) Except as specified in ¶(D) of this section, a POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD received in compliance with LAWS allowing a temperature above 5xc2x0 C. (41xc2x0 F.) during shipment from the supplier as specified in ¶3-202.11(B), shall be cooled within 4 hours to 5xc2x0 C. (41xc2x0 F.) or less, or 7xc2x0 C. (45xc2x0 F.) or less as specified under ¶3-501.16(A)(2)(b).
Data loggers exist for a variety of tasks including the recording of the temperature. Application of these to the food industry is shown by:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,974 which describes a system for monitoring and controlling food service requirements in a food service establishment. It includes a main computer with appropriate peripherals and an interface unit. The interface unit is connected to the main computer and is also connected to a plurality of monitoring devices, some of which monitor essential food establishment functions, such as temperatures, motion detectors, sanitary areas and the like, while others monitor employee activities. The interface unit is also connected to a plurality of control devices which both monitor and control essential activities, including sanitation, temperature, signals for smoke detection, pH levels, inventory and employee activities. Portable instruments are included with connection capabilities to the interface unit, and employee identification devices are also included.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,163 which relates to a method of logging data relative to the operation of a transport refrigeration unit, during each trip of the transport refrigeration unit, with the transport refrigeration unit including control means and non-volatile memory means. The method includes the steps of monitoring a plurality of predetermined variables of the transport refrigeration unit to provide data, and selecting those variables of the plurality of monitored variables whose data is to be logged in the memory means during a trip of the transport refrigeration unit.
Such data loggers do not relate to the specific task of monitoring food cool down time, which has specific requirements to be followed.
It is an object of this invention to provide a data logger which will monitor compliance with a cooling regime as specified, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
In one aspect, the invention comprises a data logger, a temperature probe fitted to the data logger and a logging regime which monitors the temperature of the probe environment at intervals which will indicate compliance or non-compliance with a specified cooling regime.